Tough Love
by Lizard Pie
Summary: Eliza wants control of her body so Faust decides to force her to learn. The first not exactly loving FaustXEliza on the site.


AN: This one went through several different variations before I finally found one which worked. It didn't turn out as well as I had originally hoped it would, but a good ten minute read, anyway.

She'd been staring at the clock on the mantle for what it told her was an hour.

There wasn't much else to do –the children she shared the suite with had wandered away, the radio had been shut off and the painting on the wall was giving her a migraine with its clashing colors.

Other than the clock, now, all that was left to look at was her tormentor –sitting in the chair across from her and reading silently as if nothing were going on now or since he'd first started.

Finally, Eliza decided she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Let me _go_, Faust," she hissed, wishing she could so more than just dig her nails deeper into the armrests, "I've been sitting here for three hours."

Her husband spoke indifferently, not looking up from his reading, "You can go anytime you'd like, Eliza. I'm not stopping you."

She frowned more deeply, "You're not doing anything; that means that you _are_ stopping me."

He turned a page, "I'm giving you the same amount of furyoko I give to Frankensteiny so he can move on his own –compensating for size. It shouldn't be a problem."

The dog looked up from his place curled at Eliza's feet and wagged his tail lightly. Faust smiled and motioned for him to go back to sleep.

"You're comparing me to the dog now?" she asked flatly, eyebrow raised.

The corners of Faust's mouth tightened. "You know very well that's not what I meant, Eliza. Don't exaggerate." He peeked at her through his bangs quickly before looking back down. "You learned to speak in two hours' time, this really is no different."

Eliza shook her head, though she knew he wasn't paying enough attention to look. "Have you ever tried this? Don't start with me…"

Faust frowned at her for a long while before sighing and setting his book on the side table. "Fine then, Eliza. Since it seems that you don't want me here anymore, I'll leave." He patted his thigh softly. "Come, Franky; we're going out."

The dog looked up before walking over to become his master's legs once again.

As Faust stood, Eliza grit her teeth. "Where are you going?"

He smiled lightly as he walked away, "You remember BoZ, those two monks I fixed up this morning?"

She nodded curtly, fingernails digging a bit deeper.

"Yes, well, they apparently hold midnight concerts in a bar down the way. I was thinking of going down to see one."

Eliza's wide eyes were furious, "So… you're just going to leave me here? Is that it?"

Faust chuckled silently to himself. "As I said before, you're free to join me whenever you'd like –they say it's quite a show," he called to her as he ducked into their portion of the suite to change shirts, "Though it appears that you'd much rather sit there all night."

"You bastard," she told him, lip curled, "I can't believe you're just…"

He smiled brightly as he emerged and made his way to the door. "Shame you don't seem to want to come…" He thought for just a moment before deciding which card to play. "I may just need to find another date for the night."

Her eyebrows shot up before pulling together. "You _wouldn't_."

He smirked to himself before turning to her and shrugging, "Wouldn't I?" Faust pretended to think, "There is that Chinese girl I've been meaning to get to know, after all…"

Eliza's jaw dropped. "That…. that green-haired girl with the talismans?"

He shrugged and nodded, taking the smallest steps closer to the door.

"She's at the very least ten years younger than you," she snapped, eyeing him as he continued to creep away. "You take another step to that door and I'll kill you."

The two sized each other up for a moment before Faust took one rather decisively.

She was speechless for a while as she tried to sort her anger into words. "After everything we've gone through… you're just going to…"

He looked away for just a moment. "Maybe I already did."

The raw power coming off Eliza was growing as her rage built. Faust was growing rather uneasy, now, seeing her so upset by his own doing. But… he couldn't exactly go back at this point.

"You have one last chance to sit down," she said through clenched teeth.

Faust thought for a moment before shaking his head, "It starts in five minutes. I'm already going to get a poor seat for going so late. Besides… didn't you know it's very rude to keep a date waiting?" He turned and strode toward the door again.

In a matter of moments, he was on the ground with his arm pinned to his back. He grinned through the pain as she dug her nails into it furiously.

"You really think you can just do that?" she snarled; mouth less than an inch from his ear. "After everything you've done to me, I'm not going to let you just drop me for the next girl that catches your eye."

Faust turned his head to beam at her. "Congratulations. And here I thought you couldn't do it."

Eliza blinked before sighing angrily and rolling her eyes. "That whole thing… was your idea of a joke?"

He ran his tongue over the inside of his mouth in thought. "Yeah, pretty much."

"You're not funny _at all_, did you know that?" She pushed his arm a little further for good measure.

"I never thought I was," he said, starting to shrug but then thinking better of it for the pain. "Are you still going to kill me?"

She rubbed her eyes irritably before pulling him up. "Let's just go down to this thing… alright?" Eliza paused to look over him critically. "And you're not allowed to say another word for the rest of the night."

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead before leading her out of the room.


End file.
